Vehicle sensing and wireless communication capabilities improve the functionality of street parking meters. Parking meters including such technologies are able to offer higher levels of service to both consumers and municipalities. Parking meters with vehicle sensing and wireless communication capabilities also offer enhanced ability to accommodate refined schemes of rates and time limits. Current practices adopted for replacing existing parking meters with technologically advanced upgraded versions involve labor intensive and expensive steps, such as coring of the asphalt surface of a street or sidewalk, replacement of all the internal components of an existing meter, or complete removal of an existing meter and installation of a new meter.